Bhim Not On TrackAfter All

Trust DRDO not to put out the full picture. The Indian BHIM 155-mm tracked self-propelled
howitzer was recently noted by DRDO to have been "evaluated" and "accepted" by the Indian Army. Well, it turns out the DRDO was referring to its nearly decade old evaluation/acceptance by the Army when the BHIM had a Denel T6 gun turret. After Denel was blacklisted by the Indian government following apparent evidence of malfeasance in a separate deal for anti-materiel rifles, the BHIM became effectively gun- less, and has remained so ever since. Efforts have been made twice to give the BHIM a gun, but those efforts are nowhere close to complete. And when I checked with DRDO, they told me they were "planning to" restart efforts to find the BHIM a new gun. So, no new gun. It's just a couple of Arjun
chassis stored away somewhere.
Trust DRDO not to put out the full picture. The Indian BHIM 155-mm tracked self-propelled
howitzer was recently noted by DRDO to have been "evaluated" and "accepted" by the Indian Army. Well, it turns out the DRDO was referring to its nearly decade old evaluation/acceptance by the Army when the BHIM had a Denel T6 gun turret. After Denel was blacklisted by the Indian government following apparent evidence of malfeasance in a separate deal for anti-materiel rifles, the BHIM became effectively gun- less, and has remained so ever since. Efforts have been made twice to give the BHIM a gun, but those efforts are nowhere close to complete. And when I checked with DRDO, they told me they were "planning to" restart efforts to find the BHIM a new gun. So, no new gun. It's just a couple of Arjun
chassis stored away somewhere.

The Director General of India's Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO), VK Saraswat today announced that he would soon be launching new programmes to develop 155mm/52cal artillery guns in both towed and self-propelled configurations. "This," he said, was to "take care of future artillery requirements of the next decade, without having to rely on the vagaries of foreign import."

Indian defense industry is stuck with the Russian socialist model of state run monopolies. Since 1992, lot of industries were opened up to the private sector like telecom, airlines etc, but most of defense was monopolized by DRDO. it is only from 2000 (after the 1998 US embargo) that the private investments in the defense sector were encouraged. As a result, it will take India another 20-25 years before the private companies step up.
It is a sad commentary indeed that our self-propelled artillery does not have a GUN!

Absolutely fabulous !! By the end of this decade, we will have our nuke sub patrolling the international waters with an medium range ballistic missile (hopefully one at least), at least 3 ACs with a substantial air power, a 5000 km+ ICBM, MMRCA winner aircrafts in the IAF, probably a handful of the FGFA also, 10-15 AWACS platforms, but without a capable self propelled artillery gun, something very basic, for the IA and also a futuristic MBT for the armored regiments !! So, the biggest loser in all this, turns out to be the Indian Army !! Poor IA.

Indian defense industry is stuck with the Russian socialist model of state run monopolies. Since 1992, lot of industries were opened up to the private sector like telecom, airlines etc, but most of defense was monopolized by DRDO. it is only from 2000 (after the 1998 US embargo) that the private investments in the defense sector were encouraged. As a result, it will take India another 20-25 years before the private companies step up.
It is a sad commentary indeed that our self-propelled artillery does not have a GUN!

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Even Russia has learned its lesson now they have Rosbonexport the aeronautics sector has been reformed now you have the UAC (united aircraft production) privatisation in India as in many other countries has a negative connotation and as we all know in India it'll bring hell lot of protest.

Because MoD is still stuck in the 1980s. Instead of looking at what needs to be done from a strategic/ tactical viewpoint, they look at what babus think are important. Add to that the fact that the IA brass is the largest bureaucracy possible, with outdated thinking.

The South Koren model is an interesting template. But the main point is that weapons systems development is better left to the private sector. The DRDO does not care about basic weapons because it does not tickle the Indian public's pride. This is the result if you put bureaucrats in charge of products development. Everything is for PR...

The South Koren model is an interesting template. But the main point is that weapons systems development is better left to the private sector. The DRDO does not care about basic weapons because it does not tickle the Indian public's pride. This is the result if you put bureaucrats in charge of products development. Everything is for PR...

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Everything is for PR and nothing for self-defense? Sure there are a lot of Nationalists here who are fans of Indias accomplishment and enjoy seeing developments in complex fields but that is not the real reason DRDO was established, i mean to be an PR department. India was many time a victim of sanctions from the west that crippled its ability to purchase defence equipment in times of war, pushing it to rely more on a single vendor like Russia. So the importance of making things locally was held at high importance and to have an independent foreign policy which wont be dictated by threats of stoping weapons supply during war. We do live in a very Hostile area and a lot of our land is contested by China and Pakistan.

I agree the Private sector could take up but DRDO was built during the Socialist Era where state wanted more control on such stuff but now its not easy to do an U-turn all of a sudden, the private Industry was never groomed for this, so its going to be very hard to do a transaction to private Defense industry, I really dont see anything down the line for many decades that's going to replace DRDO simply because of the complexity and funds required for R&D.

Everything is for PR and nothing for self-defense? Sure there are a lot of Nationalists here who are fans of Indias accomplishment and enjoy seeing developments in complex fields but that is not the real reason DRDO was established, i mean to be an PR department. India was many time a victim of sanctions from the west that crippled its ability to purchase defence equipment in times of war, pushing it to rely more on a single vendor like Russia. So the importance of making things locally was held at high importance and to have an independent foreign policy which wont be dictated by threats of stoping weapons supply during war. We do live in a very Hostile area and a lot of our land is contested by China and Pakistan.

I agree the Private sector could take up but DRDO was built during the Socialist Era where state wanted more control on such stuff but now its not easy to do an U-turn all of a sudden, the private Industry was never groomed for this, so its going to be very hard to do a transaction to private Defense industry, I really dont see anything down the line for many decades that's going to replace DRDO simply because of the complexity and funds required for R&D.

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It is not just a fault of DRDO. They could not develop a gun in 10+ years is shameful, but what was MoD doing? Artillary guns are made by mutiple companies world over. MoD/ IA should have bought a 155 mm gun and got 50 delivered by the company. They should make a deal similar to the IN ships or IAF fighters, license production of the rest 200 guns or whatever number the IA needed. That way, DRDO would have learnt how to make artillery guns too. Instead, the babus were busy sleeping/ looking for better "deals" in large value projects.

It is not just a fault of DRDO. They could not develop a gun in 10+ years is shameful

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They were not told to do it, looking at Political situation no body even dare to ask..

Only few months back they were asked only when they asked.. That is Shameful!

But what was MoD doing? Artillary guns are made by mutiple companies world over. MoD/ IA should have bought a 155 mm gun and got 50 delivered by the company. license production of the rest 200 guns or whatever number the IA needed.

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MOD is always busy in eating Samosa and Chay!, And always ready with Excuses instead working for solution !

And IA top brass were not hard enough to push for STOP GAP measures!, Most think they have done their job by submitting the requirements at south block, A STOP GAP measure is simply mounting a Towed Arty on the back of a modified truck hence making it a SPGH..

Only 200 made from which only 50 are in working Condition, LOOKING AT SITUATION WHY DIDN'T THEY USE STORED AWAY T-55 CHASSIS OR EVEN ARJUN CHASSIS ?

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the babus were busy sleeping/ looking for better "deals" in large value projects.